News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-03-24
An Innocent Man Hanged
A ory of CircEms;antiaI Evidence.
BY A DETECTIVE.

L was asked the other day how MANY
cases had known, in my long expert
ence as detective, of innocent people
being convicted and punished for the
crimes of others My answer was
'Only one, " and the case is we'll worth
relating and reading.
lbegan my detective career in Canada,
and IN locality where justice made
swift work of evildooTs. I had been
three years in the business. and had done
some very fair work, when a very sensa-
tlona! case was put into my hands.
Three miles from the city of b lived
retired merchant named Grafton. He
had a line mansion, elegant grounds, and
plenty of money, but his wife was an in
sane patient in his own house, and his
only child, boy of 10, was half idiot.
Grafton was silent partner in several
concerns IL the city, but spent four
ffths of his time at home. His wife was
never seen, while the young man lived
more like wild animal than like hu-
man being, the greater part of his time
being spent IN the woods and fields, no
matter what the weather. Grafton had
as coachman, gardener, and hired man a
German about 50 years of age, wh) had
been in the country about five years
when | first saw him at the house
There were three female servants. and
one of them was a girl Is years OF age
named Jennie Price, whose mother was
a very respectable widow in the city.
. his girl was allowed to 90 home every
othec Saturday, and always rode in with
Fritz the cOachman as he went to mar
ket, ran home for an nour or two, and
then returned by the same vehicle. 1t
was reported that Fritz was in love and
jealous of her. Will Grafton. the half
idiot, had also taken a shine" to her,
but his attentions were laughed to scorn
by the pretty Jennie and her compan-
ions.
Now, then, in the afternoon of GER
tain 14th of July several weighty Incl
dents occurred. Fritz received letter
with foreign postmark, and was very
much excited. He was seen running to
the barn with the letter in his hand, and,
ten minutes later, was heard shouting
and storming to himself as if greatly en-
ragged and excited. The servants said to
each other that he must have received
bad news, but none of them went to in
vestigate and console him.
1t was Jennie's day to go home, but
Grafton was indisposed. Fritz suddenly
disappeared, and Will was not allowed
TO drive the horses. The girl, therefore,
decided to set out on foot and take her
chances of getting a lift on the road.
She left at o'clock in the afternoon,
and was to return by noon next day,
Saturday night it was discovered that
Fritz had left the house and locality, rot
even asking for his wages. While Viii
had set off on one of his erratic excur
sions, having been seen by the cook tC
pack up some provisions.
Jennie did not return on Sunday, Of
Monday, or Tuesday, and Grafton drove
into town on Wednesday and sent mes
sage to her house. She had not beer
home. and an investigation revealed tht
fact that none of her friends had seer
her for two weeks. It was a case o
mysterious disappearance. and l CAM
into it having little doubt that it woulC
turn out like the majority of such cases
However, when I had learned that tn
girl was steady as well as handsome, anC
that everybody had perfect confidence il
her principles, / went to the Grafton
mansion to begin my search there. Thi
was on Thursday morning and it nov
seemed pretty plain that some calamity
had befallen the girl. In an hour
learned all the incidents related above
Grafton was very anxious in the matter
telling me to spare no expense, but wher
l began to question viii, tie young MAI
turned on his heel and walked off, as i
deaf and dumb. /, however, had {
chance to look him over for q couple o.
minutes, and l made note OF severa
things. A button had been torn off his
coat with such force as to tear the cloth
He had two scratches on the right check
and one on the right hand. One finger
of the left hand was tied up in a rag
and the cook, who tied it up for him
told me that something had bitten hin
severely.
1t was quarter of a mile from the
house to the highway, with carriage
road running straight from the from
door. This road was taken by any O
the servants who were going TO town OF
foot. BY making a cut through WOOD
they saved at least half a mile in dis
lance. The girl Jennie had been seel
to take this path on that Saturday, anC
my search lay in that direction. III,
woods covered about ten acres, and wer,
not underbrushed. The path was wei
defined, and was a romantic walk for
summers day the forest being a i've will
hares, squirrels, and birds2
Half way through the woods the patl
traversed a dell about half an acre in ex
tent. 1t was while crossing this that
got my first clue. Several feet to tn
right of the path was Jennies parasol
and as picked it up found that it ha,
been badly broken. While it was closed
as she would be likely to carry it throug
the woods, four ribs were broken, an
the handle loosened, and felt certai
that she had used it as a weapon of de
fence. Fifty feet further on, and righ
in the path, I found her handbag
Across the dell, in the thick wood
again, found bow from her throat o
q bush, and here the earth had been tor
up and the bushes broken down to prov
struggle 1t was one which must ha'
lasted for some time and being fierce